2016 is over and before we starting looking ahead to what should be another awesome year of new games, I wanted to give you my top 25 games of 2016. This was a hard list to make, hench 25 games. In my opinion there was a lot of standout games and even the ones that didn't make the list were still above average. While working on the list, I was amazed at the wide variety of games that made my top 25 and how many I would have not guessed at the begining of the year. I decided to only write why the top 5 games are where they are at so that this did not take hours to read. There are some games that I have not played that could have made the list including Great Western Trail, TMNT Shadows of the Past. and a bunch of others. Because of not being able to play every single great game, I will also be making a new to me list each year that will not include the current year. I hope you enjoyed these games as much as I did and I am sure there will be lots of opinions to share. I look forward to reading them all. I hope you have enjoyed reading my reviews for the year and please feel free to email with comments. Thank you for your support and enjoy my top 25 games of 2016.

Note: You can click on each game picture and will be taken to the Boardgamegeek page of that game.

Star Trek Ascendancy was a game that was on my 2016 watch list and was very high on that list. Gale Force Nine did not disappoint in delivering the Star Trek experience. My one big gripe is that I wish the expansions would be released so that we can play with a higher player count than 3. Each faction plays just like they are represtented on the screen. Each time you play the universe will be different and you will encounter different scenarios. This is the game for Star Trek fans.

#4- Mechs vs. MinionsPublished by: Riot Games

Mechs vs. Minions was the surprise game of 2016. The majority of the gaming community had no clue this game was going to be released or even existed till a month or two before release. Mechs vs. Minions takes place in the popular League of Legends universe, but does mimic the game style of the popular MOBA style PC game. Instead Mechs vs. Minions has 10 scenarios that you and your friends will try to beat in a game style similar to games like Robo Rally. Each turn you will be getting new action cards that you will program into your character. Then one by one each character will act on their action cards in order they are placed on their character sheet. Bad programming will result in spinning in circles or running into a pack of minions. Riot Games made huge waves in the high production value and low price tag. Everything about this game screams high quality.

#3- Star Wars RebellionPublished by: Fantasy Flight/Asmodee NA

Star Wars Rebellion is the original trilogy in a box. Production quality is great and there is a lot in this box. Rebellion is played by 2 players or 2 teams that share actions. One side is the Rebels who are trying to keep their base hidden and foil the Empire's plans. On the other side is the Empire and they have one goal. To find and destroy the Rebel Base. In one of my experiences, I actually kidnapped Princess Leia and questioned her for the location of the Rebel Base. These are the type of details that will entertain any Star Wars fan. For Board Gamers, the deep strategy and fun will keep you entertained and will make this a great addition to your collection.

#2- Masmorra: Dungeons of ArcadiaPublished by: CMON Games

​ I first experienced Masmorra at GenCon 2015 and I was very skeptical but it looked interesting and different. This year I went to CMON Expo and got my first play of Masmorra. This was the game of the show for me and I loved the whole experience. You and your friends are competing in a quest of dungeon exploring. You can not directly attack your friends but you can make things very difficult for them by moving monsters into their room or playing cards to hurt them. Masmorra still maintains the feeling of the Arcadia universe while giving you a new experience. You character will level up and gain new skill and equipment while in the dungeon. You never know what will happen when you venture into a new room. The only other game that was more enjoyable and rememberable was my number 1 game. If you are a fan of Arcadia Quest or Dungeon exploring games, then Masmorra will be right up your alley.

The top game of 2016 and winner of the Taco game of the year award is....

Rarely does a game live up the hype that is built up before release and during Kickstarter. Scythe had some of the biggest hype I have ever seen for a board game. I got my first taste of Scythe at Geekway to the West and I came away from the experience wanting to tell the world about it. I enjoyed the theme and exceptional art, but what hit me was the gameplay experience. There was a wide variety of ways to victory and each faction had its own little flavor. Scythe is more resource gatherering than combat, but that is also up to the player in how they want to play. Production quailty was awesome. I came away from the game with an opinion that there was nothing I would change about the game or dislike about it. Each time I have played Scythe, I have left that game night happy and fullfilled. That hype that Scythe got before release was not hype but rather truth in how awesome of a game it is in my opinion. Will everyone love it? No, everyone has different tastes, but my taste for 2016 was Scythe. Congrats to Jamey and Stonemaier Games for my 2016 game of the year.